


Steven's Axe (Steven Universe)

by RheaRoy_Hunter



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:35:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24187495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RheaRoy_Hunter/pseuds/RheaRoy_Hunter
Summary: A shield can only do so much.Based loosely on a headcannon of mine.
Kudos: 29





	Steven's Axe (Steven Universe)

**Author's Note:**

> Written before SUF was released but I didn't have an AO3 account at that point so I'm posting it here now.

Steven jumped the remaining few stairs as he swung around the banister, landing directly before the front door. He looked over at the shelf where what was left of his mother's sword, a lingering gaze falling onto the item in question as he grasped the front door's handle.

The teen hesitated, attention shifting from the broken blade to the door handle and back again. Steven repeated this action several times until he released the knob with a sigh. He then made his way to the shelf, lifted the sword's handle away from its wooden resting place and pocketed it.

\---

Steven swerved in and out of the various architecture of Little Homeworld; with help from his floating abilities, his shield could function as a hoverboard, similar to Peridot's self-claimed trash-can lid. 

Being several feet above the ground allowed for the half-gem to avoid colliding with the busy gems and humans that resided in the mini gem-tropolis as they went about their daily lives. It also served as a quick and efficient way to travel in comparison to driving or walking when a warp-pad wasn't close by.

Steven ducked under a bridge, veered around another building and dropped down from his hover-shield right in front of the workshop of a familiar weapon's expert. The pink item of defence disappeared into a shower of sparkles as Steven pushed into the large door of Bismuth's Forge.

His eyes blinked as his pupils adjusted to the gloom of the forge, looking around the recognizable features of the circular room. At the centre, there was a giant workbench, extended in length, where a large gem with multicoloured dreadlocks and a hammer for hand was hammering away at a piece of glowing metal. Her complexion was periwinkle blue and her attire consisted of nothing but maroon dungarees. The only light source of the room was the lava spewing in a waterfall-like manner into an inside lake across from the door, the heat of which so intense that Steven hastily removed his pink varsity jacket and tied it around his waist, revealing the ripped sleeves of his dad's old star shirt.

"Heya, Bismuth."

The gem started, fumbling with the metal in her non-hammer hand as she whirled around.

"Steven! Don't sneak up on me like that." Her hammer hand glowed and melted back into a regular hand as Bismuth placed the lump of metal down onto the work bench before properly giving the teenaged half-human a one armed hug which Steven returned. The gem then gave Steven a light punch to the arm. "You told me you'd visit more often. Where've you been that's kept you away from here for so long, hmm?"

"Sorry," Steven apologised, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've been pretty busy lately - with the Diamonds and the gem empire and Spinel and what not."

"How is Spinel doing?" Bismuth rested an arm on her work bench. "She settling in with the Diamonds?"

"Yeah, she's fine, they're enough to keep each other distracted from me for a while, anyways." Steven chuckled while Bismuth laughed heartily.

"What about you, Bismuth? You been busy?"

"Oh, I wish, Steven. Not much for a weapons builder like me to do if you've brought peace all over and with the development of Little Homeworld complete, let's just say my repertory's starting to overflow a bit."

A luminescent pink hue lit up Steven's face. 

"Heh, sorry about that."

"It's fine, Steven, honestly. I'm just pulling your leg. What brings you here?"

"Well, I was kinda hoping you could help me with-" Steven reached into his pocket, pulling out the remains of his mother's sword. "-this."

Bismuth's expression twisted from one of a smile to one of confusion. She raised a brow at the damaged cutting edge.

"You want me to fix it?"

"Actually, I want you to extend the handle."

"Extend the handle?" Bismuth repeated, bewildered.

"Yeah, so it's about-" Steven gestured the desired length with his hands, which was around four feet long, "-this long."

Steven then placed the item into Bismuth's waiting palm.

"So you want me to turn it into a spear. But why?"

"I just want to try something, but I need the handle to be longer for it to work."

"Alright," Bismuth shrugged, "You're the boss."

"Thanks, Bismuth."

\---  
Steven watched Bismuth work in silence, awed by how rapidly she was able to do what he had requested.

"There. All done." Bismuth smiled.

"Wow, that was pretty fast, Bismuth." The teen said genuinely, admiring the elaborate detail. engraved into the newly extended handle.

"So, what exactly are you going to do with it?" Bismuth asked curiously, handing over the spear-like object.

Holding the spear in his left hand, Steven then summoned his upgraded shield in his right. Nothing much had changed about the shield except for the five blades positioned around the edge (giving it the appearance of a star, the symbol of Crystal Gems). Bismuth watched, curious, as he then brought the two weapons together and within a flash of light Steven was holding an oversized axe.

A grin appeared across Steven's face.

"It actually worked!"

Meanwhile, Bismuth merely stared at the newly formed tool, shocked. She eyed the axe, pupils drifting cross it's form from the handle to the head, taking in each in depth detail carefully: the engravings of vines woven round the handle, the pink blades of the head conjoined by the gem originally positioned at the center of Rose's shield, it all seemed to radiate light as it rested in Steven's open palms.

"Uh? Bismuth? You okay?"

Bismuth blinked as Steven's words broke her chain of thoughts. She then smiled as her shoulder slacked.

"You never fail to amaze me, Steven."

Noting how the weapon's expert was staring at the pink axe within his hands, Steven offered it to the gem.

"Here." His voice was soft, bashful even, "You can take a look if you want."

Hesitantly, Bismuth took it and she ran a finger along the blade's edge - sharp and smooth, with hardly a chip or indent within its gleaming silver surface.

"This... this is quite the axe, Steven." Bismuth complimented. "How'd you know that'd actually work?"

"I, uh..." Steven focused his gaze onto the axe rather than his rainbow haired friend, cheeks warming up with a faint pink glow as he blushed. "I didn't. I just figured if Pearl and Garnet and Amethyst could upgrade their weapons with the material upgrades, then I'd be able to do the same with my mother's sword."

"I've never considered that before," the gem said, crossing her arms over her gemstone, "but now that I think about it, I'm surprised you didn't come to me sooner."

"Bismuth, you made Mom's sword. I thought that, if I had gone to you and asked you to alter it, you'd feel that I was being - what's the word?" Steven rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before continuing. "Being disrespectful or something. I know it's ridiculous but..."

The male ducked his head down in embarrassment, exposing dark, curly hair. Bismuth chuckled, ruffling Steven's curls.

"Steven, I don't take offence to the idea of you wanting to upgrade."

"Well, Connie's got her own sword and a shield can only do so much and I thought, 'Mom's sword is just sitting there collecting dust so I figured why not put it to good use and..."

"Steven, you're rambling."

"Am I?" Steven's cheeks glowed a brighter pink. "Sorry." he finished sheepishly.

"It's not a problem, honestly." Bismuth shrugged again. "I'm glad you've figured out a use for what's left of Rose's sword. It'd be a shame if it was just left on a shelf collecting dust in your house."

Steven smiled. "Me too."


End file.
